• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Rebooted Meyers Manx Returns to Its Racing Roots, Sponsors NORRA 1000 Race
  • Spring Cleaning Includes Your Car
  • Fifty Million Apartment Dwellers Need a Way to Plug In
  • Tesla Back in Court on $137M Race Discrimination Suit
  • E-Fuels Provide a Lifeline for Ferrari and Porsche
  • Upstart Fain Sworn in as UAW President on Eve of Bargaining Convention
  • Week Ahead: UAW Gets a New Leader
  • The Rearview Mirror: Ford’s High-End Failure
  • Ram Returning to Midsize Pickup Segment; Shows Dealers a Concept EV
  • Why Isn’t That EV Charger Working?
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S
    • A Week With: 2023 Infiniti QX80
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV80 Prestige 3.5 Turbo
    • First Drive: 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T
    • First Drive: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
    • First Drive: 2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Jeep Compass Limited
    • A Week With: 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series
    • A Week With: 2023 Volvo XC40 AWD Ultimate
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > FCA Confirms Next-Gen Minivan Gets Plug-in Hybrid

        FCA Confirms Next-Gen Minivan Gets Plug-in Hybrid

        Chrysler’s family haulers expand to include new technology.

        Joseph Szczesny
        Joseph Szczesny , Executive Editor
        Feb. 13, 2015
        Chrysler brand chief, Al Gardner, confirmed that a plug-in hybrid minivan is coming next year.

        A key FCA US executive confirmed the new family of Chrysler minivans will include a plug-in hybrid version.

        Al Gardner, president and CEO, Chrysler brand – FCA North America , said during an interview at the Chicago Auto Show, the plug-in hybrid is definitely part of the Chrysler brand’s future product plan.

        We Keep You Plugged In!

        Last month, Fiat Chrysler Automobile Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said he hoped to have the new minivan ready for an unveiling at the next North American International Auto Show in January 2016.

        FCA’s new five-year plan calls for building Chrysler into a brand that can “face off” directly in six key segments with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Honda and Nissan. It will require new products, such as the plug-in electric minivan, according to Gardner, who declined to discuss other future products except to note the plan included a compact vehicle.

        Gardner added that while growth of the Chrysler brand has lagged behind the sales growth of Jeep and Ram, momentum is building. For example, the Chrysler 200 has been a major success. In January, the 200, which was named the “Family Car of the Year” by the Midwest Automotive Media Association, finished fifth in the intensely competitive midsize passenger car segment, trailing only well-established nameplates, such as Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima.

        “We beat Malibu and we even beat out the Hyundai Sonata,” which has only been on the market for less than six months, he noted.

        Overall Chrysler brand sales were up about 3% last year and with the industry trending towards sales of 16.8 million units to 17 million units this year, they are poised to grow again during 2015.

        The success of the 200 has given FCA confidence that the Chrysler brand can thrive in the middle of the market by offering uniquely American style as well as the latest and best technology, Gardner noted. “Everyone else in the segment is a little dull. The 200 is not supposed to be a “me-too” vehicle,” he added.

        (Ram Laramie Limited leads luxury truck pack. For more, Click Here.)

        The new minivan is another vehicle that can change the perception of Chrysler through the offering of sophisticated technology.

        FCA US started the renovation of the Windsor assembly plant just after Christmas, using a 600-ton crane to start installing 200 pieces of structural steel to create a new conveyor enclosure on the plant’s roof.

        (Click Here for details about FCA’s dip in profits.)

        Measuring just over 20 feet tall, the conveyor enclosure will house the plant’s new skillet line, a global standard for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles facilities. The skillet moves the vehicle along the line, adjusting its height to the desired level for workers, improving vehicle quality with a better line of sight. The skillet also provides optimal ergonomic positioning, which allows workers to function in the Golden Zone, a 60-degree window in front of the operator that is ideal to present parts.

        The conveyor enclosure and skillet line are among many improvements planned for the Windsor plant in preparation for production of a future model. Additional projects will be completed during 14 weeks of downtime beginning in February.

        (To see more spy shots of the 2017 Town & Country, Click Here.)

        Currently occupying 4.4 million square feet of floor space, the Windsor Assembly Plant employs 4,600 employees across three shifts to produce the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Ram Cargo Van, and Lancia Grand Voyager. The facility was built in 1928 with production of its signature minivans beginning in 1983. Chrysler Group celebrated 30 years of minivan leadership in 2013 with more than 13 million vehicles sold.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        Meyers Manx on the NORRA 1000 2022

        Rebooted Meyers Manx Returns to Its Racing Roots, Sponsors NORRA 1000 Race

        Today

        Spring Cleaning Includes Your Car

        Today
        gas pump handles

        E-Fuels Provide a Lifeline for Ferrari and Porsche

        Yesterday

        2 responses to “FCA Confirms Next-Gen Minivan Gets Plug-in Hybrid”

        1. Jorge says:
          February 13, 2015 at 12:32 pm

          There should certainly be room for the battery pack in a mini-van though the weight of a hybrid mini-van may offset a lot of the potential EV gain.

          BTW, it’s not awards that have a great impact on sales, it’s typically styling, function and value.

          Reply
          1. Paul A. Eisenstein says:
            February 15, 2015 at 9:31 pm

            Awards get vehicles noticed, but good vehicles can succeed anyway, while bad vehicles won’t do well no matter how many trophies they collect.

            Paul E.

            Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: